She paused in her tones to stick out her tongue at the boy, but soon enough continued, imitating the blackbird calls, and then modifying the sound to a little repeated theme that was more consistent, easier to catch onto. Mal closed her eyes as she did so, simply enjoying the rumble, the meditative repetition, only to open a single green eye as Mortis joined in with her. She grinned softly, but never ceased, and they hummed in tandem for a while. The blackbirds seemed to respond to them, growing ever more unruly within the canopy above their heads.

Suddenly, she nudged the boy. "You've got it," she praised, her tail thumping in approval. "Keep it going." With Mortis carrying the original tune, she would sing counterpoint to him, a soft harmony that lifted above his own voice. It was nice to sing -- well, hum, technically. It wasn't often she got the chance, outside of that especially when it came to duets, multiple voices. She was surprised to find a pang of longing, underneath it all. She missed this.

He returned the gesture, his tongue lolling easy from between his muzzle and his grin. He didn’t however say anything. He didn’t want to disturb her chirping. She had an uncanny ability to mimic the cry of the birds, and he could almost imagine a blackbird sat beside him, except for the fact that it simply sounded like it came from a bigger creature.

When he quietly joined with her, his own tune not nearly as well finished as her own, she would crack open an eye. He met her gaze, holding the tune, and listening to the answering song of the birds around them.

He startled a little when she nudged him, he had gotten lost in his concentration. When Mort put his mind to doing a thing, he hated to do it badly. When she began a counterpoint harmony, he struggled to keep the original tune. He closed his eyes, shocked by how cool it sounded, the way their voices mixed togethr.